在跟新交的男朋友尼克去湖區(qū)度假的前一天晚上，因鄰居老約瑟夫住院勞拉不得已收留了他的小狗基普。首次跟男朋友外出度假，勞拉的內(nèi)心充滿了期待，沒想到從旅途一開始，倆人之間就遇到了諸多意見分歧。由于基普誤食鼠藥而中毒，勞拉認(rèn)識(shí)了獸醫(yī)羅伯特·羅伯特一開始為什么討厭勞拉？在羅伯特身上發(fā)生過什么悲慘的事故？尼克是自己當(dāng)初想的那樣的人嗎？勞拉最后的決定又是什么？
“劍橋雙語分級(jí)閱讀·小說館”是一套從劍橋大學(xué)出版社引進(jìn)的面向非英語國家英語學(xué)習(xí)者的分級(jí)系列讀物，由英語語言教學(xué)專家及小說作家合力創(chuàng)作。創(chuàng)作過程歷時(shí)二十余年，出版后受到世界各地英語教師和英語學(xué)習(xí)者的喜愛，許多讀本再版十余次，二十余年來暢銷不衰，成為全球英語學(xué)習(xí)者首選的優(yōu)秀讀本。
本系列讀物具有以下突出的特色：
1.它是原創(chuàng)英語讀物，而非改編自普通作品的讀物。因此，閱讀本系列讀物，我們讀到的是原汁原味的原創(chuàng)英語，而非人為改編過的二手英語。
2.它是當(dāng)代優(yōu)秀短篇小說，而非上個(gè)或上上個(gè)世紀(jì)的小說。因此，閱讀本系列讀物，我們讀到的是當(dāng)今活的、學(xué)了就能用的英語，而非穿越時(shí)空的、學(xué)了難以用的英語，了解的是與我們同時(shí)代英語國家人們的、而非隔代人的生活、文化、風(fēng)土人情和價(jià)值觀。
3.它是專為非英語國家的英語學(xué)習(xí)者量身定制的讀物，而非為英語母語者而寫的大眾讀物。因此，本系列讀物是最適合英語學(xué)習(xí)的讀物。
4.它是英美知名小說家和英語語言教學(xué)專家合力創(chuàng)作的讀物，小說家保障了讀物的可讀性與可欣賞性，英語語言教學(xué)專家保障了讀物語言作為英語習(xí)得材料的科學(xué)性與可學(xué)性。本系列中的很多小說都曾獲得國際廣泛閱讀教育學(xué)會(huì)頒發(fā)的“語言學(xué)習(xí)者文學(xué)獎(jiǎng)（Language Learner Literature Award）”。因此，閱讀本系列讀物，我們會(huì)在欣賞小說的同時(shí)，自然而然地、有效地提高自己的英語水平。
5.它的故事題材豐富多樣，包括偵探、情感、歷險(xiǎn)、懸疑、人文、科幻、喜劇等，讀者可以隨心選擇自己喜歡的類別進(jìn)行閱讀；它的故事內(nèi)容生動(dòng)有趣，故事情節(jié)引人人勝、扣人心弦，一旦開始閱讀，就想一口氣讀完，使閱讀真正升華到“悅讀”。
6.隨書附贈(zèng)的音頻材料內(nèi)容精彩——它不是普通英語母語者的朗讀錄音，而是專業(yè)配音員的演繹再創(chuàng)作。聽著它，我們猶如在聽廣播劇、聽評(píng)書，又仿佛是在聽電影、聽話劇……這種聆聽英語的享受將徹底掃除學(xué)生對(duì)英語聽力的畏難心理。
7.讀本中所使用的語言，既有英式英語，也有美式英語，對(duì)應(yīng)的音頻材料也相應(yīng)分為英音和美音。讀者可根據(jù)自己的喜好來選擇。
8.本系列一百多本讀物根據(jù)“歐洲共同語言參考框架（CEF）”和“劍橋大學(xué)外語考試部（ESOL）”的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來確定級(jí)別劃分，是建立在科學(xué)研究和實(shí)踐基礎(chǔ)之上的分級(jí)。全套共分七個(gè)級(jí)別（與中國學(xué)生英語基礎(chǔ)水平的大致對(duì)應(yīng)關(guān)系，請(qǐng)參見圖書封底表格），讀者可根據(jù)自己的英語基礎(chǔ)選擇相應(yīng)級(jí)別的讀本來學(xué)習(xí)。
Penny Hancock（彭尼·漢考克），英語語言教育專家、作家，曾在意大利、希臘等國家教授英語多年。在從事語言教育的同時(shí)，創(chuàng)作為英語語言學(xué)習(xí)者使用的小說讀本。
《劍橋雙語分級(jí)閱讀·小說館（第4級(jí)）：情定湖區(qū)》：
In the morning Nick came into the kitchen. Laura was cooking bacon on the tiny camping stove.
‘That smells good,' he said.
‘Here.' Laura handed him a plate. 'Perhaps we can go for a walk together before Nick goes off to do his water sports,' she was thinking.
Nick had other ideas. He ate his breakfast quickly,before Laura sat down.
‘Right!' he said loudly. 'I feel better for that. Now,Let's get going!'
‘Already?' Laura asked.
‘I don't want to waste any time,' said Nick. 'It's a beautiful morning and I want to get out on the lake while it's fine. Are you coming?'
‘I'm...l'm not sure. What water sports are you doing?I quite like sailing, but I don't know if...'
‘jet_skiing,' said Nick.
‘Jet-skiing?' Laura looked at him. Why was she surprised? Nick liked fast vehicles. He liked motorbikes and sports cars, so of course he liked jet-skiing.
‘Coming?' he asked.
‘No, no, I don't think so. I've never jet-skied. To be honest, I'm a bit afraid ofit. You have to go so fast.'
‘That's the fun!' said Nick. 'But don't worry. I'm happy to go on my own, and I can meet you back here for lunch.'
‘OK. I'll come with you down to the lake, and walk back. I need some exercise too,' said Laura.
Nick hadn't asked about Kip. He'd been asleep when Laura had got back last night. Had he forgotten that she'd gone to the vet's in the middle of the night?
‘The vet kept the dog overnight,' Laura said as they drove. 'He was worried he'd be cold in the barn.'
‘That was kind of him,' said Nick. 'So, he was all right?'
‘Yes, he was OK, a bit quiet,' replied Laura.
‘No, I meant the dog,' said Nick laughing.
‘0h! Oh yes, Kip was OK. But it was lucky I went.The vet said he nearly died.'
‘Hey, just look at that,' said Nick, not answering Laura. A bright yellow jet-ski was racing over the water,the sun behind it. 'That's going to be me soon!'
‘Cool,' said Laura, suddenly realising how little interest she really had in jet-skis.
As they drove down the little roads - the same ones she'd gone down late last night - she thought how beautiful the countryside was. Tall hills rose on either
side, lovely purple and red colours in the September sunshine, and the road turned towards the sheet of silver
water that was the lake. Laura couldn't help thinking that the jet-skis on the lake were the only things that weren't beautiful.
At the water sports centre, Nick jumped out of the car and went to talk to someone.
Laura sat wondering why she was there. It was almost as if Nick had forgotten her now he was about to do the thing he loved so much - get onto a jet-ski. But to be fair, he'd told her he didn't usually invite his girlfriends.
……
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